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Whoever said data wasn’t sexy likely didn’t see $42 million attached to it. That’s how much Bloomberg Philanthropies has committed to helping 100 mid-sized U.S. cities “enhance their use of data and evidence.” In layman’s terms, this means opening up everything from foreclosure rates and public transit performance to contract award amounts and employee headcount. […]

Based on our rough calculations, less than $1 out of every $100 of government spending is backed by even the most basic evidence that the money is being spent wisely. As former officials in the administrations of Barack Obama (Peter Orszag) and George W. Bush (John Bridgeland), we were flabbergasted by how blindly the federal […]

Cities are gaining momentum as incubators for innovation. There is much excitement about the idea of cities as “laboratories of democracy.” As a result, cities can learn best practices from one another. Sharing this information can build a strong foundation to amplify and encourage experimentation. Recognizing the power of shared learning, Bloomberg Philanthropies, in partnership […]

Contrary to what some skeptics argue, the new standards don’t suck an appreciation for traditional wisdom out of English class. By Meaghan Freeman, New York Fellow By now almost every teacher in the country has experienced the Common Core State Standards. We’re teaching and assessing them; we’re advocating for them or pushing against them. We’re explaining […]

Located in a suburban area fifteen miles from downtown Seattle, the Bellevue School District in Washington serves 19,500 students in 28 schools. Once a district with little racial, cultural, or economic diversity, the demographics of the community and our students have shifted significantly. While the number of children from economically challenged homes has risen, so […]

Social entrepreneurs are leading the way by using ‘constituent feedback’ to understand better what is working, for whom and in what circumstances. Consider, for example, the American non-profit organization LIFT, which has spent 15 years helping people lift themselves out of poverty. Recently, it has built on its success and improved outcomes by listening to […]

Everyone listened in excitedly as Nina Easton introduced the panelists to the audience that had gathered at the JFK Jr. Forum yesterday. As senior editor and columnist of Fortune Magazine and former resident fellow at the Institute of Politics, Easton experienced nothing short of an award-winning career with interviews of various luminaries including Hillary Clinton […]

Lately it seems like I come across the term “Common Core Math” almost daily. I hear it in conversations: “I don’t like Common Core Math.” I see it on Facebook: “Common Core Math – If you have 4 pencils and 7 apples, how many pancakes will fit on the roof?” I read about it in […]

When the Common Core State Standards were rolled out in Colorado in 2010, it was a challenge. At first, my colleagues and I at Doull Elementary in southwest Denver struggled to understand this monumental change. We read the documents, pored over the appendices and wrestled with the terminology. Teachers sat around lunch tables debating the […]

Let me begin with three scenarios from my school that I think exemplify successful implementation of the Common Core State Standards: • A principal walks into a math department meeting to find the whiteboard filled with ideas for courses and performance assessments, and scribbled with words like “problem-solving,” “precision,” and “reasoning.” Four teachers and two […]